And by “we,” we mean everybody in our contemporary culinary world. And by “today,” we mean right now, 2009. The world is a different place than it was last year, and these people made it that way. Why are we actually considering a chicken in our tiny backyard? Why are we following lunch carts on Twitter? Why is the beer aisle stocked with names that sound like insults?

Because a few people decided to do things differently. And their new ideas were so good that we followed. Together, their work is a snapshot of the culinary zeitgeist of 2009.

CHOW.com gives credit where credit is due: to 13 people who have changed the way we eat and drink, and talk and think about food.